Who is Rosalind Stone?
by Tripp Hazzard
Summary: Lily Kensington is a muggle born new to Hogwarts. She befriends the Potter children and begins her new adventures in magic. However, there is a new dark witch on the rise, and she's after Lily. No one knows who she is or what her motive is. Can Lily survive this new world?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: A Strange Visit

Many a time Lily looked out her window wishing she could just fly away by the light of the setting sun as the thrushes outside did. Yelling came from the rooms below where Lady Carnella was supervising cleaning among the other orphans. Lily leaned her head against the window pane and closed her eyes, wishing her life were different. She'd long given up dreams of someone coming and whisking her away to a gentle home, be it a family member or stranger willing to foster or adopt. She was approaching her eleventh birthday, and would soon be too old for adoption. She was a thin girl, a little on the short side, with thick raven black curls past her mid-back and bright green eyes set into a heart-shaped face. Her skin was pale, almost frail looking, and her voice was soft and melodic.

BANG! BANG! BANG! came from the stairwell outside the door, startling Lily from her daze. Lady Carnella threw the door open, her fierce gaze landing on Lily's cowering figure, and a grim smile split her over-powdered face. "You've got a visitor, girl!" she barked in her deep, guttural voice. "Look lively now! Out, out! Straight to my office!"

Lily jumped to her feet, keeping her head down to avoid Lady Carnella's gaze as she dashed through the door and down the stairs to the ground floor. Outside the office, she tugged her overlarge gray sweater straight and took a deep breath to settle herself. Who could possibly be coming to visit her? With a creak, she pushed the door open and peered nervously inside. A stern looking woman sat at the desk in an emerald, old-fashioned looking dress, her hair pulled into a tight bun and her lips set into a thin line. With a gulp, Lily slipped inside the office and took a seat along the wall, facing the woman, whose face softened momentarily into a kind smile.

"Lily Kensington?" The woman asked, her voice sharp. Lily nodded and held her breath. "I am Professor McGonagall, Headmistress of a school that's very interested in you." She pulled a yellowed envelope from an ugly carpet bag on the floor beside her and handed it to Lily.

Lily gazed down at the envelope curiously at first, but then with confusion. "Is this a joke? Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry? I've never heard of such a place and everyone knows magic isn't real."

"Well, Lily, I can assure you that this is quite real. We've been watching you for a while now, and you are indeed a witch." She smiled kindly again. "I know this is all confusing, but I can answer all of your questions."

"If magic is real, how come I've never met another witch?"

"Ah," McGonagall sighed. "You live among what we call 'muggles' in our community. Non-magic folk who don't understand our world. Imagine what the poor folks you see on the street would do if they saw dragons or trolls on a regular basis with no way to protect themselves? It does happen on occasion, of course, but a simple mind wipe clears it up."

"You wipe people's brains?!" Lily gasped. "That's . . . that's . . . wrong!"

"Oh no, dear, it doesn't harm them at all."

"This is some sick joke," Lily choked. "Did _she_ tell you to set this up?"

The woman paled and shook her head. "I'm afraid I've made the wrong impression. Magic is wonderful when used correctly. You're too young to know about the war just about 20 years ago –"

"There was no war, or I would have learned about it in school."

"Oh, of course not dear. It was a magical war." The woman sighed and shook her head. "Perhaps a demonstration will convince you."

"Demonstration?" Lily asked, even more confused, but the woman had stood up and seemed to be _shrinking_ somehow. In just moments, where the woman had been now stood a tabby cat with markings along the eyes similar to those of the woman's spectacles. Lily's hand flew to her mouth as she swallowed back a shriek of surprise. In the blink of an eye, the woman was back, standing before her once more.

"Magic is very real, dear," McGonagall said, her tone serious. "Has anything odd happened around you recently? Anything when you were upset, or scared, or emotional?"

 _Odd?_ Lily thought. Lowering her hand, she was about to reply "no," but thoughts began to bubble to the surface, memories of the bathroom flooding when she was terrified that she would be beaten, or the time Billy MacDonald had gone home with unexplained mild burns during school after clipping a strand of her hair, or the days her eyes seemed to change color from green to stormy gray and golden brown. "Yes," Lily whispered. There were many instances she could think of now, most often when she was angry or scared. "Many odd things have been happening recently."

McGonagall nodded. "I suggest you open the envelope then, and I will explain a little more of our world." She gestured and waited as Lily broke the seal and skimmed the contents before continuing. "Hogwarts is a school designed to train young witches and wizards, such as yourself, in the safe use of magic. Among your peers, there will be challenges and chances to prove yourself and over the years you will be able to decide upon an area of magic that most suits you. I myself am most comfortable with Transfiguration, as demonstrated, and taught it for many years before becoming headmistress. There are rules of course. You are strictly forbidden to use magic outside of the school until you come of age on your seventeenth birthday, and while at school you will be prohibited from dueling or practicing dark magic on any student. Am I clear?"

Lily looked up from the parchment, and nodded with an audible swallow. "Yes, of course."

"Any questions?"

"Erm . . . how will I get these supplies? And how will I get to the school?"

"Ah, yes," McGonagall said with a nod. "I will send another teacher to help you with your supplies in another week or so. Term begins on September 1st, and you will be taking the train to school. The teacher I send will give you more details on that. Upon arrival, you will be sorted with your peers into one of four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. You will live in dorms with your housemates and be rewarded with points, or punished, according to your progress and discrepancies. It's a bit of a competition among the houses, and at the end of term the house with the most points will win what we call the House Cup. A little motivation to do well in your schoolwork, I should think."

Lily took a moment to absorb the information, and then nodded. "I'm sorry for my rudeness, professor. This all just seems like a dream come true and I'm afraid I'll wake up any moment now and find out that it really is all just a dream."

McGonagall had a look of pity in her eye for a moment, but nodded. "Quite understandable in your circumstances. However, my time grows short, and I must leave. A teacher will be by this same time next week to take you to get your supplies. I shall see you on September 1st, Miss Kensington."

Lily watched her sweep out of the office, speak to Lady Carnella for a brief moment, and then glide out the door. She was a witch! And she would be leaving this dump! Lily could hardly contain her excitement, and went through the rest of the day in a sort of daze, hardly hearing the bark of Lady Carnella or the mocking jeers of the other orphans.


	2. Chapter 2

Lily drifted downstairs to breakfast humming "Happy Birthday" to herself, lost in her thoughts as she reflected on the visit she had received last week. The parchment in her pocket with her school supply list was the only proof she had to convince herself that the visit had been real. There were some rather odd things on that list too, such as a pewter cauldron and a collapsing telescope, but Lily had decided not to dwell on it too much. She was just excited to get out. Besides, today was her birthday, and she was going to make the most of it.

"Look, it's _her_ coming to sit at _our_ table," a boy with an obnoxiously nasal voice said, loud enough for all to hear as Lily drifted towards his table, porridge bowl in hand. "Just 'cause it's her birthday today, she thinks she can do whatever she wants."

Lily looked up just in time to see the boy's hand flying up from below her bowl, tossing its contents over her and several of the other orphans nearby. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to cry in front of Carson and his gang of thugs. Carson was fourteen, and seemed to run the orphanage when Lady Carnella wasn't around to supervise. Everyone was too scared to speak out against him, and so just suffered through his humiliations day after day, letting him have power over them all. Today, though, Lily had had enough. It _was_ her birthday, and she wasn't going to let Carson ruin it for her. She wasn't scared of him anymore.

Grabbing a fistful of her hair, Lily pulled as much of the porridge out as she could, smearing it all over her hands, and then marched up to Carson, taking him by surprise, and wiped her hands across his front. The room seemed to freeze as she stood back and glared at him. "I'm not afraid of you and I won't let you bully anyone else. It's been a pleasure to share my breakfast with you."

She marched away before he could gather his wits about him again and retaliate. She was almost to the door when he heard a shout from one of his cronies, "you'll pay for that, Kensington!" Something wet and mushy slammed into the back of her head, causing her to stop mid-step. _It's not worth it,_ she told herself. _This evening I'll be gone, and then it will be just a couple more weeks until September._ Laughter rang out behind her, but she kept walking, hurrying to take a hasty shower to tidy up once more, braiding her hair back from her face, and setting about her morning chores. _Soon,_ she told herself, _soon._

Neville Longbottom stood outside the orphanage and glanced once more at the letter he had received from Professor McGonagall. The girl's story seemed very familiar, and he dreaded meeting with the woman who ran such a rundown place. It was common to find muggleborns in orphanages, but Neville hated being the one to retrieve them. It was all just so sad, and the orphanages always left him feeling gloomy for the next several days. Taking a deep breath to settle himself, Neville reached up and rapped on the peeling door, and waited.

After a minute or so, a gloomy face peeked around the door and gave Neville the once over before standing aside with the door ajar. The boy was young, hardly more than seven, and he kept his head down, staring at the ground, as Neville let himself in and glanced around the entry way. A large woman wearing too much makeup bustled down the hall in his direction, her scowl changing into what she seemed to think was a welcoming smile that scared Neville more than comforted him. She introduced herself as Lady Carnella and led him to an office just inside the front hall. Neville took in the faces of the orphans he passed, seeing fear in the eyes of the few who met his gaze. What was this place? Lady Carnella's office was occupied by a small girl in overlarge, drab muggle clothes sitting against one wall. Her hair looked wet and there was an odd fire in her eyes as she watched him and Lady Carnella enter and take seats at the desk.

"So, Mister . . . er?"

"Longbottom," Neville said as cordially as he could. He didn't like this woman much.

She snickered. "Yes, Longbottom then. The woman who came to visit last week said everything was in order and that you had the paperwork?"

Right, the muggle documents in his pocket. He pulled them out and laid them on the desk. "Miss Kensington is well accounted for, and as you can see, everything is indeed in order. We have prepared a place for her to stay before the school term begins, and hope that that isn't a bother."

"No, no bother at all," Lady Carnella said with a gleam in her eye. "Tell me again, where exactly is this school you're taking her to?"

Neville was prepared for this one, but he noticed the girl perk up in her chair as well. McGonagall always left him the hard parts to explain. "Its north, in the country side. Lots of fresh air and open space, which we believe to be good for the students. We offer a very demanding program, but our students have always risen up to the challenge. I was a student there myself many long years ago."

This seemed to satisfy Lady Carnella, and so she took a moment to review the documents. The girl continued to stare at Neville with an odd, calculating look. McGonagall had said that she was quick minded and very careful, seeming to take in every detail before making a move. The scraping of Lady Carnella's chair brought him back from his thoughts and he quickly stood, his full attention back on the severe woman. After a few more minutes' discussion, they shook hands and Neville quickly led the girl from the building, waiting until they were far down the road before addressing her specifically.

"What a dreadful woman!" Neville exclaimed. "I feel bad for the lot of you every time I'm sent to orient. I'm dreadfully sorry, Miss Kensington."

"I don't mind," the girl said softly. "I'm just grateful to be out. I really don't have to go back there?"

Neville hesitated. "Well . . . you do have to go back . . ." The look on her face, so dejected and sad, wrenched at his heart. "But not until the school year is over, of course. You're welcome to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays, and you'll make plenty of friends, I'm sure of it. I have a friend that was in your position back in our school days. Perhaps you'll meet his children."

The girl looked up, a brighter look on her face. She pulled a crinkled parchment from her pocket and asked, "Where to first, then?"

Lily liked the kindly man who had come for her. Though he didn't like Lady Carnella, he had handled her well, and she enjoyed watching him as he peered around them as they journeyed to the underground. He was a tad on the chubby side, but he had a nice smile and was willing to answer any question she asked. For instance, he explained to her that he taught about the magical properties of plants when she asked which class he taught, and there was a gleam in his eye and a softness in his voice as he described some of the plants in his care that she liked. He explained the items on her list in a hushed voice as they rode the train into an obscure part of London and winked at her as he passed the fair over to the tender at the gate. He led her down an old rundown road and told her to keep an eye out for a building called _The Leaky Cauldron_ , which was the first stop they needed to make that day. Just as Lily spotted it nestled between two newer buildings, Neville spotted some familiar faces approaching the entrance from the opposite side of the road.

"Harry! Ginny!" Neville called, catching Lily off guard. "Just the people I wanted to see!"

It was a family of them, half with messy black hair and the other half with fire red hair. The man turned to greet the professor with a broad grin as the three children at his and their mother's side looked curiously at Lily. She blushed and looked at the ground, sneaking glances at them while the men exchanged greetings, and the woman too. There were two boys, and one girl, the girl being the red head, like her mum. The two boys took after their dad, the older of the two playfully shoving the other while the grownups chatted. Sucking up the courage to talk, Lily looked up and met the gaze of the girl who seemed to be her age.

"Hello," Lily said shyly, and the girl grinned. The boys heard her too, and stopped their shoving game to say hello back.

"What's your name?" The red head asked. "Mine's Lily, Lily Potter, and these are my brothers, James and Albus."

Lily stared. "Lily? But that's my name too! Lily Kensington."

The girl smiled. "We'll be the best of friends then. You're a muggleborn? Neville always gets sent out to pick ones like you up. Best man for the job really."

"I . . . uh . . . yes, muggleborn, that's it. There are a lot like me then?"

"Loads! My aunt is one, and the smartest witch I've ever met. She –" Lily was cut off by her father's voice rising over their conversation.

"She's staying at the inn? I'd like to talk to her after the shopping's all done then, if that's all right?"

"Yes of course!" Neville said with a grin. "Best to get hurrying along though."

They all entered the building together, and Lily thought it quite an odd place. It was dimly lit, though clean as could be for an inn. Lily looked around at the curious folk sitting around at the various tables, reading newspapers that seemed to have moving pictures and wearing the oddest clothes! One witch was wearing bubblegum pink . . . well, Lily could only describe it as a bathrobe, but surely the woman hadn't just woken up. Another man wore the strangest combination of clothes: an overlong Beatles shirt with corduroy pants and a lime green suit jacket. Even odder about this particular man was that there was a snake comfortably wrapped around his shoulders and the smoke seeming to come from his drink. Lily didn't get to ogle for long though, for the others quickly swept back into what appeared to be a hidden courtyard. Neville pulled out a stick of wood from his pocket and tapped a stone in the middle of the brick wall. The Potter girl giggled as Lily's jaw dropped when the bricks began to rearrange themselves into an archway that led into a whole new world.

The boys dashed through, but before they got far, their father caught their shirt collars and reeled them in with a stern look. "Shopping first, or your mother will have my head, boys! We'll go to _Quality Quidditch Supplies_ after. No running off."

"Yes, dad," they muttered, not meeting their father's eye.

"Right then. We're off to Gringotts first, Neville, but we'll catch up to you in a bit."

The family wandered off down the street. Lily watched them go, lost in dreams of a family like that until Neville tapped her shoulder and nodded his head down the street. Lily couldn't believe some of the items being sold in these shops, and when they went into Flourish and Blotts, Neville nearly had to drag her away from the advanced Charms and Transfiguration sections. Lily didn't question how Neville was paying for these items, though he did briefly explained to her what the difference between a Galleon, a Sickle, and a Knut were when he first paid for her cauldron and potion supplies. Neither of them wanted to carry all of the items, and so with a swish of his wand, he would make the items disappear to the room she would be staying in at The Leaky Cauldron for the next couple of weeks. The Potter family did eventually rejoin them when they reached Madame Malkin's Robe Shop, where Lily Potter also needed to be fitted for her first pair of Hogwarts robes. Madame Malkin herself was a kind witch, getting a little old though. Happy with the length and fit of the robes, the little band headed back out into the street.

"Can I get my wand now?" Lily Potter begged, tugging on her father's sleeve, reminding Lily that she too had yet to go get her wand. It was the last thing on her list.

"Yes," Harry said, glancing at Neville. "You headed to Ollivander's too?"

Neville nodded and together they approached the eerie little shop at the center of the street. Upon walking in, Lily looked around at the stacks and stacks of thin boxes lining shelves, piled on chairs, and spread across the counter top. Nobody seemed to notice the wizened old wizard approach the counter until he greeted them in a soft rasping voice. Lily jumped about a foot in the air and shied away from his silver eyed gaze which sent chills down her spine. Neville had told her he was the most famous wand maker in the wizarding world, and he was never wrong about a person or a wand.

"Ah, yes, the Potters have returned this year I see," Ollivander rasped, peering at Lily Potter with those odd eyes of his. "And Neville! Have you brought me another muggleborn then?"

"Yes," Neville said nervously. Lily was glad she wasn't the only one unnerved by the wand maker. "Lily Kensington, this is Ollivander."

"Curious," Ollivander rasped. "Lily Potter and Lily Kensington, I am delighted. Which of you would like to go first?"

Lily Potter leapt forward enthusiastically, the fire of excitement burning in her eyes. Her brothers carefully cleared off the chairs in the corner and sat down, bored, as Ollivander began taking measurements with an odd measuring tape that appeared to move of its own accord. Lily watched as he bustled around, pulling boxes off the shelf seemingly at random, snatching the tape away before handing the first wand to the Potter girl. She waved the wand theatrically, but Ollivander snatched it away almost instantly and replaced it with another, and then another, and then another. At last, he handed the girl one that seemed just right, and Lily Potter squealed delightedly. Holly and unicorn tail hair, ten and a half inches and supple, good for charms work. He boxed it up for her and then turned his attention to Lily.

"Miss Kensington, please step forward," he said, gesturing.

She stood still as a board as the measuring tape began flitting around and the wand maker began his process of retrieving various wand boxes once again. When he appeared ready, the tape dropped to the floor and he pulled the first wand out of the box. Before he handed it to her though, his eyes widened and he muttered "curious" again. Just as Lily Potter, he snatched most wands from her hand before she could so much as raise her arm. After what seemed like an hour, he placed a dark wooded wand in her hand, pronouncing it to be Cherry wood, dragon heartstring, sturdy, nine and three quarter inches. Gold sparks shot from the end as she raised this one, and her entire being seemed to warm. This was her wand. She was nearly deafened by the Potters and Neville's shouts of congratulations. Ollivander had a sly smile on his face as well as he took the wand from her and wrapped it up, accepting Neville's payment absentmindedly.

Harry spoke up before Lily could ask her question. "Sir, I asked you the same thing the day I came in, but what's curious?"

Ollivander smiled. "Well, both here are Lily, but Miss Kensington here is a very odd girl. Today is her eleventh birthday, I believe?"

Dumbfounded, Lily nodded.

"Ah, yes. Well, the circumstances of her wand are much like yours were, Mr. Potter. So far, it only has one brother, and I'm afraid it is in the hands of a witch I'm not pleased to have sold to. Have you heard of a Miss Rosalind Stone?"

Harry nodded, frowning. "She's just a name that's cropped up at the ministry. We don't actually know anything about her."

"Beyond that, I can't tell you much more. Miss Kensington, I ask you to use this wand very carefully. It is a powerful wand where defense and dark magic are concerned."

They all left the shop without a word after that odd exchange, Lily with her new wand clutched in her hands. Who was Rosalind Stone? The adults didn't seem to know, and Lily Potter just shook her head when Lily whispered the name to her. It was exactly as Mr. Ollivander had said, curious. Lily decided to shake it from her thoughts for the time being and reflect on the birthday she had had. Aside from the porridge this morning, it was the best birthday of her life, and she smiled to herself the rest of the way to the Leaky Cauldron. It had been a day full of surprises, and she felt prepared to face down any challenge in her way after today.


	3. Chapter 3

To say that Lily was enjoying herself was an understatement. True, she had no money of her own, but her textbooks were fascinating! And when she wasn't locked up in her little room at the Leaky Cauldron, she was out people watching. She told herself it was for the sheer purpose of education, but the wizarding world was full of fascinating people who had the oddest habits. Neville checked on her frequently, often bringing other muggleborns by, some with their parents and others alone like herself. She was even able to meet a handful of the other Hogwarts professors passing through with other muggleborns. Harry Potter hadn't been kidding that night when he'd sat down to talk to her after the day's adventures a couple of weeks ago; there were a lot of muggleborns out in the world.

Lily took a moment to ponder back on their whispered conversation. Mr. Potter had spun a fantastic tale of a dark wizard by the name of Voldemort who'd done everything within his power to be immortal . . . but at a great price. He explained what Mr. Ollivander had meant when saying another wand shared a core, such as Lily's wand and this mysterious Rosalind Stone. Mr. Potter told her that his had been a similar experience with the old wand maker. As he'd told his tale, Lily had grown more and more numb, gasping and cringing at some of the things he had to say, though he certainly didn't give her all of the details. It had given her a lot to think about. However, the thing he most wanted her to remember was that he and Voldemort had grown up just like her: orphaned, abandoned, and different. Bullied by his cousin, Harry had never had real friends until he discovered that he was a wizard and went to Hogwarts. Voldemort had been different from them in this wise; he had been the bully, and he had no use for friends. Even those closest to him in the end suffered because of his cruelty and indifference. Thinking of that conversation now made Lily shudder.

"But there are no dark wizards now, right?" Lily had asked. "We're safe?"

"I wish I could tell you it were so," Harry had replied, a deep sadness in his voice. "There will always be dark wizards. We can only hope to be prepared for when we meet another. That means there are also a lot of brilliant witches and wizards out there. We're doing all we can to keep everybody safe, and so far we've had twenty years of relative peace. I want to keep it that way for as long as I can."

Lily fingered her wand now, gazing out her window into the streets of Diagon Alley. Today was not a day to reflect on such dark tales. Today was her last day to go out and explore, to learn all that she could about the wizarding community, and learn how best to fit in at Hogwarts. Neville had left her a small bag of Galleons to spend during the duration of her stay before term began, and she was using it as sparingly as possible. She had bought herself a secondhand copy of _Hogwarts, A History_ to learn all she could about the four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Other than that, she'd held back from other enticing purchases to make sure that she really wanted the things she had had her eye on. Today she was going to look into Transfiguration books and try to understand how McGonagall had changed her form that first day in the office when she had learned the true nature of who she was. Neville had called it "animagus," where a witch or wizard could take the form of an animal at will, and it was very advanced magic. Lily longed to know how it worked, drifting into dreams again of just taking wing and flying away.

Pulling her sweater tighter about her, Lily set off, winding her way through the Leaky Cauldron, past the now familiar faces of the tenants, and made her way into Diagon Alley. Flourish and Blotts wasn't too far down the street, and the smell of freshly printed books comforted her. She wandered amongst the shelves, taking her time and listening to the chatter of other shoppers. Most of the school shopping was done, but there were a few stragglers snatching up copies last minute. Lily soaked it all in, pausing only when she found herself before the Transfiguration shelves once more. There were other people examining the shelves, but Lily paid them no mind, scanning titles along the spines at her leisure. Every now and again, something would catch her eye and she'd examine the text for a moment before re-shelving it and moving down the book case. She lost track of time as she searched and at last found a book on animagi. Before she could peek at its contents though, a voice behind her made her jump.

" _Transfiguration: A Beginner's Guide to Human Shapeshifting._ An interesting choice for a first year." The speaker was a tall boy with messy reddish brown hair, freckles, and a humorous glint to his eyes.

"What business of yours is it? I'm entitled to look at whatever books I like," Lily snapped, startled, but instantly regretted it.

He put his hands up defensively. "Now, now, I wasn't scolding you or nothing for it. Just thought it was interesting was all! The name's Merlin, Merlin Jacobson."

Lily stared at him for a moment before tenderly shaking his proffered hand. "Lily Kensington."

"Am I correct in assuming that you're a first year?"

"Yes," Lily said warily.

"Alright!" He smiled warmly. "I'm a third year, Ravenclaw house. We could use readers like you."

"I didn't know the houses could recruit."

"We can't, but sometimes a person can tell which house a newbie will be sorted into. You'd make a fair Ravenclaw, but I think you could be a Gryffindor too."

Lily didn't know what house she wanted to be sorted into, though she definitely didn't want to go into Slytherin. What she had learned from her books was unbiased, but the people she'd been watching had never really had anything kind to say about the house of the serpent. "We shall see tomorrow where I am to be placed. Now, will you excuse me?"

The boy backed off as if to honor her request, but turned back at the last second and said, "I'm sorry to have startled you. I just wanted to try to make a friend is all. Perhaps I'll see you around, and we can be friends." With that, he dashed off.

Lily watched him go, feeling bad for being so jumpy. He was nice enough. After a moment, she returned her attention to her book, flipping through a few pages slowly before determining to buy it. As she took her purchase back to the Leaky Cauldron, she reflected on her encounter with the boy and found herself wishing to run into him again and introduce herself properly. She needed friends, and she felt as though he needed her as much as she needed him, despite their age difference.

The woman manning the bar nodded to Lily when she reentered the inn, and Lily nodded back, still lost in her thoughts. Her stay in the Leaky Cauldron had been interesting for sure. However, tomorrow would be the beginning of her real journey into the magical world, and she could hardly contain her excitement once her mind caught hold of the thought. She thought it best to read for a little before going to bed that night in order to calm down. All of her new things were packed and ready for the journey tomorrow, and she wanted to be ready when Neville (soon to be called Professor Longbottom) came to pick up all of the muggleborns staying at the Leaky Cauldron. The letter said the train would leave at 11:00 am sharp from Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Lily could hardly wait!


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Harry Potter

"Gather round you lot!" Neville roared, standing in the middle of the common area of the Leaky Cauldron. "There's twenty of yeh I need to get organized and ready to go, now listen up!"

Lily looked around her as the other muggleborn first years fell silent and stared up at their soon to be professor and escort. Each had their trunks and various assortment of odds and ends, which made the room seem smaller than it really was. Neville proceeded to use the silence by pulling out a parchment and ticking off names of those that were present. Satisfied that all were accounted for, he tucked the parchment away and pulled out a tattered old scarf from the folds of his cloak, and, pointing his wand at the item, muttered some spell under his breath, causing it to glow blue for a brief second.

"Alright you lot," Neville said, looking up, "we'll be traveling by portkey today. There's too many of you for me to drag through the barrier at King's Cross Station, so we have permission to travel to the platform by magic. Only problem is I can only take five of you at a time, so split up into four groups and we'll get going."

Lily stayed in place as the others whispered and rushed to form groups. She ended up in a group with three boys and one other girl, all of whom were whispering excitedly about the journey ahead, as were the other groups. Lily kept her eyes on Neville, who was trying to get everyone's attention again.

"OI!" he bellowed. "Do you want to get there or not? Let's get moving! Miss Marcus, your group will be traveling with me first. Mr. Callahan, your group will be next, so be ready. Mr. Burke, you'll be third, and Miss Kensington, your group will be last." Lily stared at him, surprised that he had made her leader of her group. "Now, listen up. A portkey can be near about anything, and for now we'll be using this old scarf. The rules, you must be touching it, so hold tight to your things. You'll feel a jerking sensation at first, may get dizzy a bit, and then be prepared for the landing. It can be a bit harsh your first time. Miss Marcus, your group please."

They watched fascinated as the first group tightened their grips on their luggage and crowded around the professor, scrabbling to touch a piece of the scarf. Too short to see what was going on, Lily sat on her trunk and rest her elbows on her knees, waiting. Who knew how long this would take before her group was up. There was an audible gasp as the first group vanished in a flash of light, and then the room broke out in excited chatter.

"Can't wait to get to the school!" one of the boys in her group started. "I always knew I was different somehow, and now look! A wizard!"

"Exactly," another boy chimed in. "I hope I'm in Gryffindor. I hear it's the best house to go into. Courage like a lion!"

"I hear Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad," the girl said thoughtfully. "I mean, cleverness is more likely to save you in a pinch than just being bold."

"No way," the first boy said. "Who wants to stick their nose in their books all day? Besides," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper, "Harry Potter was in Gryffindor. He's the most famous wizard alive!"

Lily tried to shut it out. Harry Potter _was_ famous, but he didn't want all the attention. His story still sent chills down her spine; how had he managed it? "You lot don't know what you're talking about," Lily whispered, unknowingly speaking aloud.

"Oh yeah?" the second boy sneered. "How would you know?"

Lily looked up, ice in her eyes. "I met him, you dimwit. Whatever others have told you, it's not what you think. He speaks as though he were a soldier. He paid a great price just to be alive today."

The girl snorted. "Who wouldn't want to be famous? I think you're full of –"

She was interrupted as Neville walked into the room. "Ready, Mr. Callahan? Grab hold of the scarf and off we go!" There was another flash of light, and the second group was gone.

The other group turned to face Lily's. "Are you all ready?" The boy Neville had named, Burke, asked.

Lily's group nodded vigorously.

"I'm Matias Burke," he said smiling, sticking out his hand.

The first boy of Lily's group took it and shook vigorously. "Jacob Martin."

"Elijah Coney," the second boy introduced himself.

"Eliza Applewood," the girl stated, glancing at the three girls in Burke's group.

"Josiah Carson," the third boy in Lily's group said, speaking for the first time.

"And I'm Lily Kensington," Lily said finally. "And their names?" she said gesturing to the others standing behind Burke.

The other boy in Burke's group introduced himself as Zachary Birch, and the three girls were Jennifer Malone, Kelli Osborne, and Lydia Smith. Just as they finished introductions, Neville walked in again and gathered up Burke's group. Lily watched them go, her heart sinking as the others turned on her to continue their previous conversation.

"I think you're bonkers," Jacob Martin said. "You probably never met the bloke; you're just making up stories. Why would Harry Potter talk to a girl like you anyways?"

Lily's face burned with fury and embarrassment. Of course they didn't believe her. Nobody ever had. "Don't believe me then. I hope I don't share a house with the likes of you."

"Don't say things like that!" Elizabeth cried. "You'll still have classes together either way, but we shouldn't be making enemies. We're not even at the school yet!"

"She's right," Josiah said softly. "Why don't we just shut up and wait for the professor?"

And that's exactly what they did, spending five long minutes in a dreadful silence until Neville returned for them. Without a word, they collected their trunks and grabbed hold of the ratty old scarf. Neville counted down from three, and when he reached "one," Lily felt an unpleasant jerk behind her neck and her stomach did flips as they seemed to sail in dizzying circles. Just as Neville had warned, the landing was rough, and Lily's legs gave out beneath her when they hit pavement. Struggling to her feet, she looked around at all the students bustling around the platform.

"This way, this way!" a frantic mother half screamed at her children. "You've got ten minutes to board! Hurry up!"

Another family nearly knocked into Lily as they dodged around a pudgy old man trying to pass out fliers and yet another gaggle of students passed while playing a shoving game. Lily soaked it all in, especially the scarlet engine that whistled and puffed, waiting to pull out of the station. Lily grabbed her luggage and began to drag it towards the first door she saw, struggling with its weight. The trunk caught on the edge of the step and Lily tried fruitlessly to pull it up on her own. She needed help, but was too self-conscious to look up and ask for it.

"You, huh? Need a hand?" A familiar voice asked from behind her, making her jump and drop her trunk loudly back onto the platform. She looked up at Merlin and nodded stiffly, her face turning red from embarrassment. With a heave, he pulled her trunk up into the train and gave Lily a wink. "First years always have a hard time with their trunks."

"Thank you," Lily choked out.

"Not a problem," Merlin chortled. "Come on, you can join me and my friends in our compartment. We're a mixed lot, mind you, but I think you'll fit in alright."

Lily followed him numbly down the aisle as he dragged her trunk to a compartment midway down the train. Sliding the compartment door open, Merlin was greeted warmly by two other boys and a girl, all of varying ages. When they saw Lily, the girl gave a catcall and winked at Merlin. "Look what the cat dragged in! A firstie! I knew you'd find a sweetheart eventually." The girl cackled and gave Lily a comic wink.

Blushing, Lily entered the compartment and sat on the edge of the nearest seat. Merlin, with the help of the other two boys, heaved Lily's trunk up with the others and sat down together, grinning like fools. Lily examined them all, wondering what their connection to Merlin was. The first boy had a mess of straight black hair, skin almost as fair as Lily's, and piercing brown, almost black, eyes. He was lean and lanky, leaning back casually in his seat, lazily flipping through a magazine entitled _The Quibbler_. The other boy was nearly albino with white blonde hair, pale blue/grey eyes, and the palest skin Lily had ever seen. The girl was easily the most outgoing of the group with a mischievous glint in her amber eyes, twirling a russet curl around her fingers with one hand and spinning her wand in her other hand. She was tan and well dressed, leaning forward in her seat as her eyes flitted between Merlin and Lily.

"Right," Merlin said with a grin. "Introductions! You already know me, but I'll remind you anyways. I'm Merlin, third year, Ravenclaw, etc. Oh, and the world's biggest klutz."

"That's not a joke either," the girl jumped in. "Last year he tripped over his robes and spilled Professor Slughorn's entire collection of Scarab beetles on the floor. I'm Carissa, by the way. Also a third year, but I'm in Gryffindor. Met this lout when he fell down two flights of stairs his first week at Hogwarts on his way to breakfast."

"Hey!" Merlin protested. "Can I tell my own embarrassing stories, please?"

The dark haired boy rolled his eyes and set his magazine aside. "Jacob Campbell. Slytherin fourth year. Never a dull moment with these two, I can promise you that."

The albino boy snorted. "Jacob is the serious one. I'm Reese Campbell, his twin brother. You can tell who got the looks in our family," he said with a wink. "I'm in Gryffindor too. Makes for quite the sibling rivalry, don't you think?"

Lily was startled by the direct question. "Um . . . I wouldn't know, really. I know Gryffindor and Slytherin have always been at odds with each other, but I don't know much about Hogwarts in general, other than what I've read over the past two weeks. I'm a muggleborn."

"Oh yeah!" Merlin burst out. "Found her yesterday in the Transfiguration section of Flourish and Blotts – "

He was interrupted by screams out in the corridor as a flood of students ran past in a thunder. Reese got up and poked his head out only to slip back into the compartment as a dark haired boy Lily recognized whirled past the door, slapping at his robes which smoked as if it had just been on fire. Reese poked his head back out after he passed and laughed wickedly. "Potter seems to have gotten himself in a mess again with those cousins of his. Wonder who he pranked this time."

"That lot's trouble all right," Merlin said with a grin. "Anyways, tell us a little bit more about yourself, Lily."

Lily flushed and refused to meet anyone's eyes. "Um . . . not much to know really. Grew up in an orphanage and found out I was a witch about a month ago."

"Oh, you poor girl!" Carissa said, moving to put her arm around Lily's shoulder, effectively booting Merlin from his seat. He slid easily into Carissa's vacated seat and watched Lily closely. "I can hardly imagine what you've been through. Stick with us; we'll be your family."

Lily looked up into those warm eyes and smiled faintly. "I'd like that."

They spent the rest of the early afternoon telling Lily stories about Hogwarts, describing the teachers and different classes to her as well as some of the students. Each of them was a misfit in their own little way except for Carissa, who seemed to be with the boys just for the excitement of it. Every now and then a girl would poke her head into the compartment and chat with Carissa for a few minutes before winking at the twins, or saying hello to Merlin, and then moving on down the train. Lily liked watching the twins interact with each other. Their differences in appearance reflected the differences in their personality, and she found them extremely amusing. Lily hadn't noticed the time passing until a knock came on the compartment door and a kindly woman asked if they wanted to buy anything off the trolley. Lily's stomach growled as she examined the assortment of sweets and pastries. Merlin noticed and passed her a sweet bun with a foolish grin. The others spent the next hour having her try a various assortment of sweets. Lily discovered she was particularly fond of Chocolate Frogs.

"Can I have the card?" Jacob asked.

"Sure," Lily said, handing it over after reading the back. "Who's Grindelwald anyways?"

The group exchanged glances before Jacob answered. "He was a dark wizard. Brilliant, but not the greatest. He was murdered in his prison cell just over 20 years ago, during the wizard war."

"Oh, right, I know about that one. Voldemort, right? Harry Potter said the war was awful."

There was a gasp from all of them. "You've met Harry Potter?" Carissa whispered. "I mean, the Potter kids are one thing, but _the_ Harry Potter?"

"Yeah, I met the whole family when Neville Longbottom took me to get my school stuff in Diagon Alley. When he found out I was an orphan, he told me about his experience at Hogwarts and the war." Lily shivered, remembering the terrible things he had recounted. "It was awful. I don't blame him for not wanting attention."

They stared at her, openmouthed, but eventually got over the shock. "Well, that was a long time ago. We don't have to worry about it," Reese said, then changed topic. "So which house do you think you're going to be sorted into?"

They spent the rest of the journey cracking jokes, changing into their Hogwarts robes at one point. It had grown dark outside and Lily began to feel the kindling of excitement once more when Carissa told her that they were almost to the castle. She wouldn't be making the ride with them, Reese told her, because first years always took the boats across the lake while the other students were seated in the great hall. Lily adjusted her sweater under her robes nervously as the train slowly came to a halt and the others began pulling the trunks down.

"We'll take your luggage with us," Merlin told her. "It will be waiting in your dorm for you after the feast."

"How will they know where to put it? I haven't been sorted yet," Lily asked.

Jacob smiled at her for the first time. "Trust us; it will be there."

They made their way through the crowds and onto the platform where they were to part ways. A loud, gruff voice called over the babble of excited students, catching Lily's attention. "Firs' years, over here please! Firs' years, this way!" A lantern swung high in the air, gripped in the hands of an enormous man with a thick moleskin coat and shaggy mane of hair and beard. The others had tried describing Hagrid to her on the train, but seeing him in person was a completely different thing. Pulling her cloak tighter around her thin frame, Lily made her way over to the giant man along with the other first years. She found herself next to Lily Potter, who grinned at her and invited her to join her boat with her cousin Hugo and two other students.

"Are you ready?" Lily Potter asked excitedly.

"I think so," Lily said, but her stomach was doing backflips as the boats began their slow procession forward, the lights of the castle gleaming in the distance. She was almost there.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey all. Sorry for the long wait. Life has gotten hectic. I also apologize that the Sorting Hat's song isn't the greatest. I'm no poet unfortunately. Anyways, hope you enjoy!  
. . .

The first years stood in a tight group in the entrance hall, whispering amongst themselves and gazing at the large oak doors before them. Excited and nervous whispers circulated through the group. Lily felt as though they'd been standing for hours waiting, but in reality they had marched up the stairs just a few minutes ago. She was still cold from their excursion across the lake, and so was rubbing her arms while Lily Potter chattered in her ear. It was almost a guarantee that she and her cousin Hugo would be in Gryffindor, but Lily had no idea where muggleborns were placed. Where would she be sorted to?

"Oh, just you wait!" Lily Potter whispered excitedly. "Hogwarts is the best school you could ever dream of going to. Aren't you excited?"

Lily just nodded numbly and checked her watch for the umpteenth time in the past four minutes. In all honesty, she felt like she was going to be sick, and the feeling that ice was trickling down her back wasn't helping. Squirming, she at last turned around to see if someone was behind her and nearly screamed. A small impish man was hanging upside down literally holding ice cubes over where her neck had been just moments before. The man cackled and flipped upright, tossing his handful of ice into the air. Many of the other first years _did_ scream when they realized what was happening or when the ice cubes landed on their heads. Lily had never seen anything like the man before; he frightened her.

"Peeves!" Hugo said. "Rose told me all about him. He's the school poltergeist."

 _Peeves?_ Lily thought. The term poltergeist made a lot of sense to her as she watched him. He had been dripping ice down her back after all. Someone behind them cleared their throat, catching everyone's, including Peeves', attention. Neville was scowling at Peeves, his wand pulled out and pointed at the wretched man bobbing in the air. "I know how much you like the first years," Neville said coldly, "but I also know how much you like the Bloody Baron and the handful of spells friends have taught me. Bug off. Now."

Peeves blew a big, wet raspberry before zooming off.

"Sorry about that guys," Neville said, looking tired. "We're ready for the sorting now. Follow me."

He threw open the oak doors and led the way through the great hall. Lily soaked it in, eyes wide, as stars glimmered over her head. _Hogwarts, A History_ had mentioned something about an enchantment reflecting the weather outside, but had failed to describe the floating candles, or the banners hanging in midair over the four house tables where all the older students were sitting. The staff table looked intimidating, but Lily caught McGonagall's eye and swallowed back her nerves. Wherever she was sorted, she would be happy with it and do the best that she could. Thinking about that, her attention was drawn to the stool sitting before the staff table with a tattered hat resting upon it. It seemed a rather odd decoration, but then again, Lily thought, it may have something to do with the sorting. She had traveled to Platform 9 ¾ via ratty old scarf earlier that day after all.

Neville stepped up next to the stool and pulled out a roll of parchment, then looked to Professor McGonagall, who stood and smiled out at the students. "Welcome," she said, "to our new students as well as our old to another year at Hogwarts. Without further ado, we will let the sorting commence!"

Lily watched Neville as he unfurled his roll of parchment, but it was not he who spoke next. Instead:

" _Another year has passed us by_

 _Full of victories and woes,_

 _But do not doubt, I will not lie!_

 _Our time here ever flows._

 _New dangers come, we must prepare,_

 _I warn you all, beware!_

 _For your courage and your chivalry,_

 _Your brains and cunning too_

 _Are needed for the cavalry_

 _In the great wizard war two."_

There were gasps and whispers all around at the conclusion of the song that Lily discovered had come from a rip at the brim of the old hat. It was very much a warning, and Lily could see the worry on many of the teachers' faces. Neville had visibly grown paler at the concluding line of the short song, reminding Lily that he was friends with Harry Potter and had been a part of the last wizarding war. McGonagall rose and caught the students' attention, the hall falling instantly silent. She beckoned for Neville to begin the sorting.

Clearing his throat, Neville called out, "Aarons, Tabitha!"

A bold looking girl marched past Lily and took a seat on the stool, pulling the hat down to her brow. Lily watched curiously, but it was not long before the rip at the brim opened once more and called out, "SLYTHERIN!" Grinning, the girl ran off to join the Slytherin table, who cheered and welcomed her.

"Arnold, Jeremy."

He was sorted into Hufflepuff, and on down the line they went. Lily's nerves vanished for a moment as she watched the sorting of her group from the Leaky Cauldron, but returned when the next name to be called was hers. _What if the hat didn't know where to put her?_

"Kensington, Lily!"

Lily ducked her head and walked up to the stool. The hat slid down past her eyes, which Lily was grateful for seeing as she couldn't see the students staring at her anymore. A whisper in her ear startled her though, saying, "Muggleborn, eh? Plenty of you around lately. You have a lovely thirst for knowledge, that would suit you in Ravenclaw . . . but you also have fierce loyalty deep in your heart there. You'd make a good Gryffindor too. Very curious."

Lily flicked between the names, her heart pounding. Anywhere would be fine. She just wanted to belong.

"Hmmm . . . a tricky decision, but I think I've found your place in GRYFFINDOR!" The last word was shouted for the audience to hear. Flushing, Lily placed the hat back on the stool and made her way to the Gryffindor table amongst a thunderous applause and jeering from her new housemates. She squeezed into a seat beside Carissa and looked up to meet Merlin's smiling gaze at the Ravenclaw table, causing her to duck her head shyly. Carissa nudged her with a wink, and then they both turned their attention back to the sorting.

Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin . . . the sorting continued for the next half hour before Lily Potter was called up. Lily watched the red headed girl confidently don the hat who soon announced her to be in GRYFFINDOR. Smiling, Lily Potter dashed over to their table and took a seat between her brothers who were cheering the loudest. Ten minutes later, Hugo Weasley had also joined them at the Gryffindor table and everyone looked expectantly up to the front. McGonagall stood once more and said, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

The gold plates and goblets set before the table seemed to explode with food, causing Lily's jaw to drop. Gruel was just about the only option at the orphanage, and chicken a rare treat. Here there were piles of roast beef, chicken breast, ham, turkey, stuffing, and potatoes, everything prepared in every manner imaginable. Carissa rubbed her hands together and dug in, her eyes gleaming. Lily tried a small portion of nearly everything. Everything seemed to melt on her tongue, and she closed her eyes in bliss. If this was a dream, she never ever wanted it to end. After dinner came the wave of desserts in another jaw-dropping arrangement, and students had stopped chewing long enough to fill the hall with chatter once more.

"The elves have outdone themselves this year," Carissa said with glee, helping herself to raspberry tart and apple pie. "I love the sorting feast!"

"Elves?" Lily asked.

"Yeah," the boy across the table said. "Down in the kitchens. The house elves do all the cooking. Little blokes. They'll be pleased you're enjoying yourself. I'm Carson, by the way. Same year as Carissa there."

"Pleased to meet you," Lily said with a nod, biting into a bit of treacle tart. "So, what was the deal with the song? Was that the hat?"

"Oh yeah," Carissa said with a nod. "Hat sings something new every year. Sometimes good, sometimes a warning. I hope it was joking about a second wizarding war. It mentioned all the houses by value though. Courage is Gryffindor, and chivalry has to be Hufflepuff just because they're polite to a fault. Brains is always Ravenclaw and Slytherin are cunning. I wonder what it was trying to warn us about this year. I haven't heard of any new dark wizards since the time of Harry Potter."

Lily squirmed a little in her seat. "Um . . . when I got my wand, Mr. Ollivander seemed to think something odd was going on too. He gave a name, but I can't really recall – "

"Listen up!" Professor McGonagall called over the din of students. The Hall fell instantly into silence. "Our feast is drawing to a close, I'm afraid, and warm beds are calling for you. You have a busy day tomorrow. However, there is a matter I'd like to address before you all go your separate ways." She looked sternly over all the students. "The Minister of Magic has asked me to inform you that extra security measures will be taken at Hogwarts this year. Now, they don't want you to worry, but there are rumors circulating about a new threat to the wizarding world. Rumors, mind you! The Aurors are of course investigating, but no evidence has been found yet.

"Other reminders: the forest is forbidden to all students, and any Weasley Wizard Wheezes products caught in the classrooms will be confiscated immediately. Quidditch tryouts will begin next week, so seek out your respective captains. There will be no dueling in the corridors, and no exploring after hours. Enjoy the rest of your feast, and then pleasant dreams!"

Whispers broke out across the hall as students finished up their desserts and slowly the food vanished from the tables. Lily was stuffed and drowsy, but the name Rosalind Stone was now ringing in her ears. She fell in line with the other Gryffindor first years without a second thought and didn't pay much attention to where they were going as they climbed stairs and turned down corridors. She was only jerked out of her reverie when they came to a halt outside a painting of an enormous lady in pink silk drinking from a champagne glass. She eyed them all as she drained the golden liquid before asking, "Password?"

The older student – Lily thought he was called a prefect – stepped forward and answered, "Gingersnaps."

Lily watched amazed as the portrait swung to the side, admitting the group to a large room with comfy looking chairs and a snapping fire. It was decorated with red and gold just as the banners hanging over the Gryffindor table in the hall below. It looked homey. The prefect led them to the middle of the room and then began instructing them on their dorms and when breakfast was. Lily was too tired to care at that point and only heard that the girls' dorms were up the staircase on the right. She stumbled up the stairs with the other four first year girls and found her trunk by the bed over by the window. Lily Potter was in the bed next to hers, and she bounced on it excitedly, chattering to no one in particular. Lily changed into pajamas numbly and hit the pillow without a word. Despite how tired she was, she wasn't able to fall asleep for several more minutes. Rosalind Stone still echoed in her head, and her full belly did flips when she remembered that classes would begin in the morning. Soon, though, she and the others were all snuggled up in their blankets, snoring soundly.


End file.
